Sleep Apnea

There are three types of sleep apnea: obstructive sleep apnea, central sleep apnea, and mixed (which is a combination of the previous two). A person with sleep apnea of any kind experiences multiple episodes throughout the night where their breathing actually stops – that commonly sounds like a loud snore, snort, or gasp for air while they sleep. Leaving sleep apnea untreated is like rolling the dice with your life every night. Untreated sleep apnea can cause many dangerous medical issues, and even death because breaks in breathing deprive the body’s cells of oxygen and then they can deteriorate permanently.

Over long periods, uncontrolled sleep apnea results in intellectual and memory deterioration

Sleep apnea can cause high blood pressure to develop, as well as heart and lung problems

Anxiety also has a negative relation to sleeping soundly

Because of sleep disorders, thousands of jobs are lost annually, with the cost in U.S. production exceeding $60 billion

Sleep apnea has played a role in several disasters including the three mile island meltdown, the Challenger explosion, and the Exxon Valdez oil spill

The lack of oxygen to the brain and body caused by sleep apnea episodes can also contribute to increased chances of stroke, depression, fatigue, weight gain, irritable bowel syndrome, and type II diabetes.

Causes:

It is important to remember that although the following are common causes of sleep apnea, it can be present in people of all ages, sizes, and ethnicities.

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) occurs when a person’s airway becomes obstructed by the collapse of soft tissue in the throat, or by the tongue falling back until the airway is forced back open (that is when a snort or gasp would be heard). Typically obstructive sleep apnea is worse when someone sleeps on their back, but can also occur in other sleeping positions. Characteristics such as having a large neck, enlarged tonsils and/or obesity can contribute to a person’s risk factor in developing OSA.

Central sleep apnea happens when signals from the brain get disrupted when communicating with the respiratory system and essentially do not tell the person’s body to breathe. Central sleep apnea is common in people who have sustained a traumatic brain injury (TBI), as the injury can make it difficult for the brain to communicate in many different ways.

Coincidentally people who suffer from a TBI have a high chance of also having an undiagnosed Temporomandibular Disorder caused by the same initial trauma.

Symptoms:

The symptoms of all three types of sleep apnea are essentially the same and include:

Fatigue

Loud Snoring

Frequent Illness

Irritability

Memory Problem

Weight Gain

Depression

Headaches upon Wakening

Excessive Daytime Sleepiness

Difficulty Breathing Through Your Nose

Voice Hoarseness in the Morning

Falling Asleep While Driving

Sleep Talking/Walking

Night Sweats

Do you wake up fully refreshed and full of energy with a good level of concentration? If you don’t, you might have an undiagnosed sleep disorder that could be extremely dangerous. Please talk to your doctor about a possible sleep disorder.

Treatments:

There are different treatment options available to someone that has been diagnosed with any of the types of sleep apnea. Depending on the type of sleep apnea you have been diagnosed with, the cause of your sleep apnea, the severity of your sleep apnea and your age, some of the treatment options available include lifestyle changes, wearing an oral appliance (mouthpiece) at night, using a C-PAP machine (or similar machine), or even surgery.

At Michigan Head & Neck Institute, we exclusively offer treatment for obstructive sleep apnea that consists of creating a custom-fit oral appliance (mouthpiece) which is comfortable and can be adjusted to meet the requirements of each patient. Each patient that chooses an oral appliance (OA) as their treatment, will receive follow up sleep studies (either at-home or a in a sleep lab) which will ensure the OA is positioned accordingly.

There are over 100 different types of oral appliances that are made for OSA. Dr. Klein works with each patient to provide the best options for their specific treatment.

Each mouthpiece advances the lower jaw to keep the airway open all night. Such treatment can be covered by insurance, so please contact our office if you would like to know if your insurance plan provides coverage.

The contents of this website, such as text, graphics, images, and other materials are for informational purposes only. While there are many commonalities among multiple TMD and sleep apnea cases, each patient is unique. Information on this website should be used to educate the reader about what they should discuss with their doctor if they are suffering from the listed symptoms. The information is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Seek the advice of your physician or you may call our office with any questions you may have regarding TMD or sleep apnea. If you think you may have a medical emergency, call your doctor or 911 immediately.